MANGA REVIEW | "Dandadan" - Volume Three
The crazier Dandadan gets, the more I suspect that Tatsuki Fujimoto greatly influenced Yukinobu Tatsu’s mindset. After all, Tatsu did learn under his wing when working on both Fire Punch and Chainsaw Man. So it should come as no surprise when Dandadan goes buck wild on both the character designs and the violence that’s on display. However, there’s one thing that does come out of left field in its third volume, and it’s something that Fujimoto hasn’t exactly mastered yet.
Continuing where Volume Two left off, Momo and Okarun are in the midst of rescuing classmate Aira from Acrobatic Silky. With Aira in possession of one of Okarun’s, erm, yarbles, the fight to save her is ever-so important. But Acrobatic Silky is no sloth, with her speed and strength continuously causing Momo and Okarun one hassle after another. Fortunately, thanks to some quick thinking, Acrobatic Silky becomes a victim of her own circumstances.
However, Aira is in danger of dying, which results in Momo and Okarun trying their best to revive her. This is where a major surprise happens regarding Acrobatic Silky and Aira, with the two sharing a big connection. That’s when Tatsu decides to punch the readers square in the feels, with a flashback about a mother and daughter ripped apart by a terrible situation. Not only does this flashback deliver a strong character arc, but the artwork on display is also beautiful, disturbing, and heart-wrenching all at the same time.
Thankfully, those who came for the wackier aspects of Dandadan will get their money’s worth. After the incident, Okarun taking back his precious possession, while Aira has a bad case of both bad misunderstandings and **checks notes** love-sickness. Yes, for some reason, one of the most popular girls now has the hots for Okarun, which confuses the crap out of Momo, Seiko, and quite possibly 7/8 of the reader demographic. Aira even does her best to confess her feelings to Okarun, who chastises her for taking advice from a pervy magazine!
Naturally, this causes a rift between Okarun and Momo, the latter of whom stumbles upon the love confession at the worst time possible. But there’s no time for a quarrel, as the weirdness kicks in again. Momo, Aira, and Okarun find themselves the only people in school, with the windows blacked out and water rising. That’s when the Serpoians appear again, attempting to steal Okarun’s manhood once more. That’s when the super-powered duo becomes a super-powered trio…
I’ll refrain from spoiling any more details, but needless to say Dandadan has really found its footing in its third volume. There’s the usual action and perverted humor to be found, but the heart it showcases is this volume’s greatest strength. Of course, Dandadan’s spirit is in its strangeness, which this volume also has plenty of. While Tatsu did learn from the craziest person currently in manga today, it’s safe to say that he might just out-wacky his mentor if he keeps writing the way he does!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media
